I’m back with a First Lines Friday post to round off the week! If you’re looking for an intriguing read to pick up this weekend, I have a great one for you!
I know that as it’s my current read! I’m just under 3 hours into the audiobook version of this book as of writing this post. The intro really got my attention. Shall we take a look?
If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they’ve discovered what’s upstairs, there’s no turning back.
They are about five seconds away from reading me my rights. I’m not sure why they haven’t done it yet. Maybe they’re hoping to trick me into telling them something I shouldn’t.
“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own . . .
Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.
They don’t know what I’m capable of . . .
My Thoughts…
If you enjoy thrillers that have you second guessing what you’re reading, The Housemaid will suit you as it does me. I have no idea what’s going on. I don’t know who I trust. What I can tell you though is that I’m motivated to find out!
I’m listening to The Housemaid going shopping, driving in the car and every opportunity I get. The story so far has set out enough information for me to get a grasp of the story, but at the same time there’s plenty yet to find out. Millie has a past, but we don’t know what. Not all is as it seems in the Winchester family, but who do we believe? Even if I wanted to tell you these things (which I won’t because I’m no spoilsport), I have no idea!
The opening lines caught my attention straightaway. Even if I wasn’t reading this book for book club, that introduction would have the book added to my TBR faster than I could click ‘add to cart’.
Has today’s First Lines Friday introduced you to a future read? Have you already read The Housemaid?
Good evening and welcome to today’s Shelf Control feature. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve shared one of these posts. But, I’m back and happy to share a science-fiction book I’ve picked up before and I’m looking forward to returning to. Before I get into the details, here’s a recap of what Shelf Control is all about.
Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
In today’s post, I feature a book I started but put down a few years ago. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I was struggling with longer books at the time. I had started the second book in the series, but ultimately decided to ‘temporarily’ put it down in favour of other books.
The second novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.
Hadrian Marlowe is lost.
For half a century, he has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries.
Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. There, he will face not only the aliens he has come to offer peace, but contend with creatures that once were human, with traitors in his midst, and with a meeting that will bring him face to face with no less than the oldest enemy of mankind.
If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails…the galaxy will burn.
My Thoughts
It’s been a few years since I put this down, so the break between stopping this book and my intended restart date has been a little longer than the ‘temporary’ break planned. Admittedly, I’m going to benefit from a recap of the first book’s events, or a reread, to get back into the series.
What also excites me about this book is that it’s a relatively new author to me. I’ve only read the first book of the series, and since I started it with the proof I got from Gollancz years ago, the series has expanded. It’s nowadays total of six primary works- and there’s a final seventh coming up. There are also side stories along the way, so there’s plenty for me to get stuck into!
I enjoy the science-fiction genre. In a slight twist, this series is marketed as a space opera. If I recall correctly, there is a lot of drama, tension, and action to keep me engaged throughout this now epic series.
An additional bonus is that I already have a copy of this second book on my shelf waiting to be picked up. Fingers crossed, it’s not too long before I get there.
Thanks for reading today’s Shelf Control post! Does Howling Dark appeal to you?
March‘s monthly TBR had better go better than February’s. I don’t think I’ve ever DNF’d half of a reading list before. It wasn’t even anything really to do with the theme of Black History Month.
That’s why I’m not apprehensive about going into another month of topical reads. March is Women’s History Month, and I’ve been planning to pick up a few books on this topic for a while!
Shall we take a look?
Fixed Reads
Woden’s Spear
For the first time in a long time, I’ve got a blog tour coming up!
I’ve not taken part in a tour for around a year now. Initially, I didn’t want to take on the commitment whilst things were up in the air in my personal life. However, now that things have settled down, I have the ability to do the odd one or two of the tours again.
When Rachael asked for my help to fill in some spaces on a historical action adventure novel, I was persuaded. I love the genre and time period this book is set in. You’ll be hearing more on this book very soon, as I’m set to review it early next week.
A Promised Land
Given the length of this audiobook, it shouldn’t surprise you that Barack Obama’s A Promised Land is carried over into March.
Throughout February, I listened to 17 and a half hours of this 29-hour-long audio. I made a good dent. This month, I hope to finish it pretty soon!
A Promised Land was the one book on my February TBR that I thought at risk of DNFing. That it was actually one of my favourites of the month is both a surprise, but also a testament to how diverse my reading can be.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
My second carryover from February is Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi. I’ve picked up this series for the first time in a long time.
I confess, as of this monthly TBR, I’m undecided how I feel about the book. I’m yet to feel the same spark of enthusiasm about it as I had for the first. Still, I’ll stick with it a bit longer yet. It may come to me as I get more immersed in the story.
Normal Women
One of my Women’s History Month picks for this monthly TBR is Normal Women by Philippa Gregory.
I originally discovered this book when I featured Philippa’s podcast of the same name on my blog as part of a limited series. The subject generally is a topic of interest, but the podcast episode I listened to went into some of the research Philippa undertook when writing the book. The podcast piqued my attention, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the book and the other broad span of topics covered.
Narratives: The Stories that Hold Women Back at Work
At 254 pages, Narratives is the shortest book on this monthly TBR. Also fitting into my Women’s History Month topical reading, I’m looking forward to seeing if I can relate to any experiences within. Naturally, I hope not. Equally though, if I’m informed on ways women can be held back at work, the better I can approach the situation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a career woman. I love clocking out at the end of the day and getting into my PJ’s for a relaxing evening. I still have some ambition to push myself and maybe take on a leadership role in time.
Eve
The potential last Women’s History Month book on this TBR is Eve.
Leaning into some more non-fiction, Eve looks at the ways in which the female body has evolved and shaped humanity as we know it. It’s a little out of my comfort zone, but equally I’m hopeful the book includes a lot of humour and insight that keeps me engaged.
Work Book Club Pick
Lastly, I’ll be picking up one final ‘fixed read’ for our work book club. However, as of this post, that hasn’t been decided. Members had until the end of today to vote from three contenders; I’ll be looking at the results and announcing the winner to members tomorrow.
So, I can’t tell you which it is in this monthly TBR. You’ll have to stay tuned on the blog to see what it is!
Mood Reads
Calamity
I only have one mood read on March’s monthly TBR. Outside of my carryovers for the month, it’s the only book not fitting the theme of Women’s History Month that isn’t another reading commitment.
I recently got back into the series when I listened to Firefight in January. Now that I’m so close to finishing the trilogy, I want to power on and get it finished!
Summary
I have a lot of books to cover this month, but I’m optimistic I can avoid the same reading funk that spoiled February’s monthly TBR.
We’re now two full months into 2025. I want to get in nice and early with my monthly wrap-up for February to update you on the books I picked up, and in some cases put down, during the last month.
One of my main reading goals for February was to pick up books around the theme of Black History Month. Not all of my books fit into this category, as they were either carryovers from January or I had to read them for other commitments. How I did with February’s TBR surprised me; there were books I wasn’t sure about that but I’ve gone on to really enjoy, yet equally there are books I thought I’d get on with, but didn’t.
Shall we get into this monthly wrap-up so you can see just how this month has gone?
Books Read
A Darkness at Sethanon
A Darkness at Sethanon was a carryover from January‘s TBR. I was just a couple of chapters in at the point of setting this book on my February monthly TBR.
Admittedly, I didn’t get much further than that before I put it down. Although I had recapped myself on events so far in the series, I was struggling to get into it. If I’m entirely honest, I didn’t love the books before this one. They were okay to read, but I didn’t have any burning desire to pick up this last instalment. If anything, I was motivated to try so I could mark the series as complete.
However, I decided it wasn’t worth slogging through this book in order to give myself that accolade. I have now finished this series, but it has a DNF as opposed to a completion.
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
A few weeks ago, I started listening to Fearing the Black Body. I ended up listening to this audiobook over the course of a weekend. I didn’t expect to love this book in the way that I did. It was really interesting, and I liked how the book was broken down and considered different ideas and arguments. I wouldn’t say this book is to be taken as gospel. However, it does consider some interesting ideas on why racism could play a role in our current culture’s fat phobia.
I wouldn’t describe this as a book that I would typically read. However, I’m glad I did. It’s a good way to get an alternate perspective on things, as well as consider things from a non-racial perspective as well. In addition to the race argument, the author also offers religion as a possible source of some of the negativity around larger bodies too.
A Promised Land
The second audiobook I picked up this month, and admittedly I’m still reading as of this monthly wrap-up post, is A Promised Land by Barack Obama. If there’s one book on this TBR I thought I was at risk of DNFing, it was this one. In truth, it’s one of the books I’m enjoying the most this month.
Politics is a subject that is out of my comfort zone. My overarching opinion generally of politicians is that they don’t achieve anything for the masses. instead, they use their office to promote their own self interest. I can be forgiven for this view when you consider the amount of cronyism that gets highlighted on the news.
So far, I don’t find Barack to be your typical politician. My overall perception of Barack Obama when he was in office was that he was a decent president.
Listening to his book, I still have this view. I’ve enjoyed listening to some of his insights on what his priorities were as a president. He also covers a number of different unplanned situations he had to deal with in office.
Naturally, this book is far more involved to the likes of Michelle Obama’s Becoming in describing the politics of his life. He’s not averse to making jabs here and there against other parties and individuals, but for the most part I’m getting on with the book well.
The only reason I’m still listening to this audiobook at the end of February is because it is so long! The audiobook is just over 29 hours long. As a drafting this post, I have just under 12 and a half hours left to listen to.
In Every Mirror She’s Black
Another read I intended to complete as part of this February TBR relating to Black History Month is In Every Mirror She’s Black. A few years ago I acquired my copy of the book in a Waterstones sale after Christmas. I liked the sound of the book and I thought it was going to have something quite prominent to say when it comes to race – how seemingly different black women end up experiencing the same treatment in life.
However, having gotten a third into this book, I still couldn’t tell where the storyline was intending to take us or what message it was trying to put out. So, I decided to DNF it. I was bored. The plot was meandering between the three female perspectives and not really giving any context as to what it was trying to say. Nothing significant was happening and I wasn’t enjoying reading it.
It’s a shame, because I think it could’ve been a good book if it started to get to its point a little quicker.
The Da Vinci Code
If you are a regular reader, you will know that I host a book club at work. We meet once a month, typically towards the end of a month, and discuss a book of a members choice.
A couple of months ago, we came up with the idea of reading The Da Vinci Code. Some members had already read the book a long time ago, whereas others like myself had not read it before. It sounded like a good book for discussion, so we decided to pick that up.
I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like this one either. I read 29% of the book before I DNF this one too. Whilst I enjoyed the ideas of symbolism and the murder mystery aspect of the storyline, I felt overall that it was a very pretentious book. There is a lot of detail on symbolism and at times, I felt the narrative was talking down to me to have to explain some of it. I also found the idea of these clues being left for Robert too far-fetched.
In principle, one of the characters had approximately 15 minutes to lay down all these clues before he passed away from a fatal injury in order to point Robert to his murderer. After discussions with another book club member, there are perhaps reasons why this was plausible for the character to do given his position and preplanning for such an eventuality. However, it just felt far-fetched to me and I wasn’t a fan of the tone of the book.
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
Lastly, we get to the final book of my February TBR, Children of Virtue and Vengeance. I am still reading this book as of publishing this monthly wrap-up post, but I confess I’m not loving this one either. At this point, I don’t think it’s the fault of the book, but more to do with the fact that I’m in a reading funk.
As of this monthly wrap up post, I’m 20% into the book and I’m going to keep going with it for now. I probably not help myself in that it’s been a good number of years since I read the first book of the series. I have recapped myself on events, But leaving it so long is probably acting as a blocker helping me immerse myself back into the storyline.
Summary
It’s fair to say that reading progress in February didn’t end up going so well. Whilst I have read some enjoyable books in the month, I DNF’d three books – basically half the list!
I may need to reconsider my reading plans for March to help get myself out of whatever reading funk I’m in right now.
Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up! Have you read any great books recently that you can recommend to help?
If there’s one thing that’s apparent on this Top Ten Tuesday – Books I’ve Never Reviewed post, it’s that the books fall into one of two categories.
I’m proud to say that in the grand scheme of things, I review the vast majority of books I read. There are some I haven’t reviewed dating back to pre-blog days. Maybe I’ll re-read and review some of those whilst they are fresh in my memory. It wouldn’t feel fair to it now when it’s been over 10 years since I picked the books up.
The two categories the remaining books fall into are either those I feel indifferent over, or those I’m intimidated to even try to review!
Shall we take a look at what falls where?
Books I’m Indifferent About
Empress of All Seasons
My overall recollection on this book is one of general enjoyment, but nothing stands out In my head as to why I liked this book.
The Ruby in the Smoke
Nothing smacks harder of indifference than not actually being able to remember a single thing about this book or anything that happened in it.
Yikes.
Vox
On a different note, I do remember the plot and premise of Vox. I did enjoy the book, but as a feminist fiction, I feel it could have leant a little harder into the subject than it did.
Jack the Ripper: Case Closed
I like Jack the Ripper books and stories, but this audiobook just felt a bit ‘meh’. It’s very hard to write a review and talk about a book when you really don’t have a lot to say about it.
Scouse Gothic
If I recall correctly, the author sent me a copy of this book after I read another of his. It was a book I read at my own leisure rather than for review. It was an okay read, if a bit out of my comfort zone. I didn’t have anything especially to say about it then and neither do I now.
You Are Not so Smart
All I recall from this book is a bunch of surprising facts, interlaced with humour. It was a good and informative read, but I certainly don’t have enough to say about it to be able to draft a post dedicated to it.
It’s interestingly the only non-fiction to feature in this Top Ten Tuesday.
The Cockroach
This political satire is a short book I was recommended by someone I used to work for. It was an interesting and different short story to read. Again, there’s no way I’d be able to justify a review for it.
Books I’m Intimidated to Review
Blackwing
I’ve read and reviewed both Ravencry and Crowfall as part of blog tours. I read the first book in the series, Blackwing, to catch up on the book ready to review Ravencry.
Since I’ve loved the books so much (that I’ve already re-read them within just a few years), any future review has very big shoes to fill.
Godsgrave
In a bit of an admin oversight, I reviewed the first and final book of this trilogy on my blog, but not Godsgrave. I’m not sure how I managed that, but there we go!
Like Blackwing, I’m intimidated at the prospect of approaching this review. I adored this series – it’s what got me into Jay Kristoff’s books in the first place. Can I do the book justice and convince readers it lives up to the hype?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
I’m intimidated to review The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time because it’s such a well-known classic! The truth is, I’m probably missing a trick here. Reviews on my blog for classic or popular books, including The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are why my blog gets as many views as it does nowadays (over 71,000 in 2024).
Maybe I need to just bite the bullet and have a go!
Summary
Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday post. Have you read and reviewed any of the books I feature in this Top Ten Tuesday instalment? I’d love to read your thoughts if you have!
In today’s TBR book tag post, I’m sharing some fun content. Now and then, I like to break up my reviews and reading progress updates. Today, I’m sharing some books on my TBR and tips on how I keep on top of it (ha!).
I found this TBR book tag over on Pastmidnights.com and I thought it was a fun break from my usual content.
How do you keep track of your TBR?
I have used Goodreads to track my reading list since I really started getting back into reading in 2017.
I have tried other trackers like StoryGraph before. However, because I’m so used to Goodreads, I didn’t really get on with it. It would also be such a project to make the transition that I don’t really have the energy for it. Plus, there’s nothing I dislike about Goodreads either. I know some people like to stay away from it because of its affiliation with Amazon. It works for me though…
Is your TBR mostly print or e-books?
I have a number of books across all formats – physical, e-book, and audiobook. However, I’d say the e-book collection is by far the largest.
Arguably, it’s the more convenient format to have books in. It doesn’t take up physical space in the house, which is the most premium resource I have. Not that you’d know it from the stack of books that can’t fit on my existing bookshelves…
How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next?
It honestly depends.
Sometimes, very occasionally, I’ll have a reading theme. Take this month for example – Black History Month. If I want to pick up books on or around this topic, it’s a much smaller pool to choose from than the 200+ on my list.
Most of the time though, it’s what I feel like reading. I have some broader reading goals of finishing series. That usually bumps books up the list a bit. Occasionally, I’ll mood read and pick up whatever I want. I can judge that either by synopsis or genre. There isn’t really any rhyme or reason here.
Finally, I might just curveball and pick up something not on the list. Be that for book club or any other reason, I just keep myself on my toes.
A book that’s been on your TBR the longest
The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss – there is another question about unpublished books below in which I feature another I cannot wait to get to. This unpublished book features here though as it is literally the oldest book on my TBR by ‘date added’ and there is nothing I can do about it!
A book you recently added to your TBR
I added A Man Called Ove as I love the idea of the character. Although I’m not anywhere near the main character’s demographic (neither male – I hope not shocking news…, or of the elderly generation), I can sympathise with this character.
A book on your TBR you strictly bought because of the beautiful cover
Orbital is a fairly recent purchase. However, the cover caught my eye and then I rationalised that some shorter fiction on my TBR isn’t a bad thing!
A book on your TBR you never actually plan on reading
Um… none really? I don’t add books to the list if I don’t have any intention of reading them. That may change over time and I take something off the list as I no longer want to read it. But, there’s no point adding something I don’t want to read!
An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for
The Winds of Winter is the most anticipated new release on my TBR. The only problem is, I’m getting increasingly worried that this sequel is still a long way off!
A book on your TBR basically everybody has read but you
I’ve put Throne of Glass on my TBR as a way of trying Sarah J. Maas. I’m not sure I’ll like all her books, but this is the series I’ve been recommended as having the most storyline sans romance to it.
A book on your TBR that everyone recommends
I’d have to go for The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang – ironic as I have just been gifted a fancy edition of the book!
A book on your TBR that you’re just dying to read
I’m not one for anticipating new releases much. However, I grew up reading The Hunger Games. I’m looking forward to the prequel, Sunrise on the Reaping, coming out. It’s the story of Haymitch’s games. He’s a rich character in the later books; I’m interested to see what happened to him to get himself in such a sorry state!
The number of books on your Goodreads Shelf
As of publishing this post, the Goodreads list is 214 books long.
Please send help!
Thanks for checking out today’s TBR book tag post!
The first month of 2025 has flown by! It’s been a fun start to the year. And, as I hoped, I’ve picked up some great books to get me started. Today’s monthly wrap-up post is dominated by books I rated five-stars. What more could I ask for?
I set myself an ambitious monthly TBR, but I’m not going to knock myself down for not being able to match my enthusiasm with results. I still picked up the vast majority of the reading list. What didn’t make it in January is going to come back very shortly.
So, shall we take a look at the books I did manage to pick up in January?
Books Read
The Priory of the Orange Tree
I started the year with an audiobook listen of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I did this deliberately as I wanted to start the year right. I’ve heard great things about this fantasy, and I wanted to make sure that one of my first reads of 2025 was going to be a four or five-star rating.
At the beginning of January, I had already listened to just over half of this audiobook (55% if you want to get specific). That still left me with around 11 or 12 hours of audio to progress with. Whilst technically this is only half the book, that is more than a whole book’s worth when you think about the average book length I typically read!
Needless to say, my tactic worked. I rated The Priory of the Orange Tree five stars. I loved this fantasy inside out. It was a fun read with compelling characters and an interesting plotline anyway. However, its emphasis on strong female lead characters really made this even better for me.
Fool’s Errand
The second and final book I carried over from my December monthly wrap-up was Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb. Admittedly, I was much less into this book when I started the year. Aside from the first 56 pages, I pretty much read the whole book in January.
Fool’s Errand broke my heart in every way I feared it would. I really enjoyed being back in the world of Fitzchivalry Farseer and seeing how events have moved on from the first trilogy in the Realm of the Elderlings series. The foreshadowing at the beginning of this book hammered home my fears about what may happen in this latest instalment.
Can a book be both great and terrible at the same time? It was the events of this book that were tragic. The storyline and writing itself it’s usual fantastic standard. Robin Hobb is not known for pulling her punches when it comes to her main characters. Do we really get invested in them if we know they’re going to turn out right in the end?
Fool’s Errand achieved another five star rating and really cemented a good reading start for me this year.
Shuggie Bain
Back in November, our book club at work decided that we would reconvene in January after reading Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart.
Admittedly, this isn’t the type of book I would’ve picked up of my own volition. That’s the benefit of a book club! It gives you the chance to pick up and read new things and really get out of your comfort zone. Remember, that’s one of my reading goals for this year.
Whilst I confess I didn’t love every aspect of Shuggie Bain, that’s not to say I didn’t get anything out of it. The book is very bleak in its outlook, but gives great perspective on quite pivotal problems in our society like alcoholism, addiction and the impact these things have on families.
From our discussion, we came to the conclusion that whilst these things feel like a very distant problem for other people, they’re not so far under the surface. Quite often those afflicted are very good at masking their problems. Also, it’s dangerous that substances such as alcohol are so widely available to trap those trying to free themselves of their addiction.
Firefight
The final book I picked up and read to completion before the end of the month was Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. I appreciate fantasy has featured quite heavily on this month’s TBR, but I’m not apologetic for it. It’s my favourite genre for a reason! Brandon Sanderson is also always a great read. I’ve loved every single one of his books, even when you’re taken into consideration how varied they are.
Firefight is the second book of his The Reckoners trilogy. Part of the reason I wanted to pick this up early in the year is so I have just one book left in the series. You may also recall a featured this series in my Series to Finish in 2025 post.
I didn’t anticipate the ending of this book, but I went into it pretty open-minded. I really enjoyed how events played out in the book and it’s gotten me all the more excited to pick up the final instalment of the series very soon!
A Darkness at Sethanon
The last book I picked up before the end of the month, though admittedly I only got a couple of chapters in, was A Darkness at Sethanon by Raymond E Feist.
This book is also a final instalment in a series and that is the main reason for picking this book up. I want to make an effort continuously to keep finishing up series I’ve started and get the list back under control.
There’s not much to say as of this monthly wrap-up post, other than to say that I’ve gotten myself caught up on events of the prior books in the series and I’m looking forward to diving into this one in earnest!
Summary
This monthly wrap-up post has illustrated to me that my aims of picking up high-quality reads in my favourite genre for January have set me up in good stead for the rest of the year. With no less than 3 five-star reads already under my belt, I’m looking forward to continuing the positive streak.
Did you pick up any five-star reads in January? Do you have any reading goals you are prioritising for 2025?
One of my 2025 Resolutions is to give greater priority to finishing book series. I have plenty of series where I only have 1, 2, or 3 books left before I can mark them complete. In today’s post, I feature my list of series to finish in 2025.
My intention with publishing this post is accountability. Not only have I done the work to identify a number of series that are quick completions. This post also makes that intention public – and hopefully makes me commit to reading all these books this year!
Series to Finish in 2025
The Reckoners
I’m currently listening to Firefight with only 1 hour and 16 minutes left. Once that’s finished, I only have the third book of this trilogy, Calamity, left.
Not only is this an easy win because I only pretty much have one book left to read, but because it’s a Brandon Sanderson book, it will be very easy to achieve as well. I always look forward to his books, and when I do pick them up, they are effortless to read. At the point I am in the series, I have well established the world in which this series is set, and so it’s onward with the action!
The Hunger Games
Sunrise on the Reaping is a prequel to The Hunger Games. It’s due out in mid-March, and I plan to pick it up shortly after it’s released.
I’m not one for keeping up too closely with new releases. However, as it is the only book in the series I have yet to read, I’m going to prioritise it so that the series returns to a completed status. I confess, I’m also half tempted to re-read The Hunger Games anyway. I loved these books as a teenager, and it’s a great opportunity for a re-read… yes?
Eagle of Mercia
Another 2025 release that takes the Eagle of Mercia series off its ‘up-to-date’ pedestal is Betrayal of Mercia.
Betrayal of Mercia was released earlier this month. I started reading the series whilst taking part in blog tours and I kept up with it. Even though I’ve taken the decision not to take part in blog tours anymore, I’m invested in the series. So, I plan to continue with it in my own time.
Betrayal of Mercia is the seventh book in this series. It’s a historical fiction with a main character I have a lot of respect for. I’m looking forward to getting back into this world.
The Riftwar Saga
My current read, A Darkness at Sethanon, also makes this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ list. As it stands, it’s the final book of Raymond E. Feist’s The Riftwar Saga series.
Although there are more series set in the same world should I wish to return, it’s strictly the last book of the trilogy I’ve started. At present, I don’t know if I’m going to go on to read those of the series. Whilst these books have been perfectly acceptable, I equally don’t have the same pull towards it that I have towards other fantasy series. I may be happy to leave it here; that depends on whether I enjoy this last book.
The Dark Tower
The last series to feature in this ‘Series to Finish in 2025’ post is The Dark Tower by Stephen King. This series is the longest in terms of books left to completion, with three remaining at the time of this post.
Some of the books left in this series are chunky. It will probably take me some time to finish this series, but I’m looking forward to it nonetheless.
The next book I have to read, which admittedly I started the first 20 pages of a few months ago, is Wolves of the Calla. I didn’t properly commit to that one so I’ll likely restart it. That book alone is 765 pages long. After that, Song of Susannah is 434 pages long and lastly, The Dark Tower is 740 pages.
Summary
Have you got lots of ongoing series to progress with? Do you have any series to finish in 2025?
Good evening readers and welcome to this Shelf Control post – hope you are well? It’s been a wild one here! Today I’ve been relegated to working from home as the office was shut due to storm Éowyn. All things considered, I’ve not suffered badly. Losing half a roof tile is nothing compared to other people. Someone had half their roof ripped off!
Anyway, less of topical commentary and more of what to expect from this Shelf Control. Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.
If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.
In today’s post, I feature the first police procedural in a good while. I enjoy the genre but don’t read a lot of it. No doubt I’ll be changing that soon!
If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken…
Fifteen years ago, a serial killer known only as ‘The Whisper Man’ wreaked havoc on the sleepy village of Featherbank.
But with the killer behind bars, the village is now a safe haven for Tom and his young son Jake to make a fresh start.
Until another boy goes missing. It feels like history is repeating itself.
Could the killer still be out there – and can Tom protect his son from becoming the next victim?
My Thoughts
I already have a copy of The Whisper Man, so I anticipate I’ll be picking up this police procedural soon. I enjoy picking up books like this, even if I don’t very often. The suspense is already palpable from the synopsis. Once we get into the story, it can only grow from there!
I added this book to my TBR in June 2019 and purchased a copy on Kindle on 2020. Taking advantage of a book being discounted to 99p is always a good idea when you read as much as I do!
Alex North is a new author to me. At the time I added this to my TBR, he had nothing else published under that name. Now in 2025 he has several books out, and another due out in May. What I hadn’t realised is that he’s also published multiple books under the pseudonym Steve Mosby. If I go on to enjoy this book as much as I think I will, then I have plenty more of his to read in future.
Do you like the sound of The Whisper Man? Have you read it and is it worth the positive press it’s received?
Stay safe and I’ll see you in my Sunday Summary in a couple of days!
Good evening and welcome to this First Lines Friday post! It’s the end of another working week for a lot of people (myself included!) and the weekend is finally here. Do you have any exciting plans?
In last week’s Sunday Summary I set myself the challenge of featuring a book I purchased last Sunday in this First Lines Friday. I checked them all out before I made my decision on which was best. You should be able to guess which one from the opening lines.
Let’s get into today’s First Lines Friday introduction, then I’ll follow with the details of the book:
Ove is fifty-nine.
He drives a Saab. He’s the kind of man who points the people he doesn’t like the look of, as if they were burglars and his forefinger a policeman torch. He stands at the counter of a shop where owners of Japanese cars come to purchase white cables. Ove eyes the sales assistant for a long time before shaking a medium-sized white box at him.
‘So this is one of those O-Pads, is it?’ he demands.
Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots – joggers, neighbours who can’t reverse a trailer properly and shop assistants who talk in code.
But isn’t it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible . . .
My Thoughts…
There is something about a curmudgeonly main character that appeals to me. We all know how hilarious the elderly and outspoken can be at the best of times.
Now more than ever it must be difficult to live in our modern world. With the only constant being change, I can imagine myself being very sympathetic to Ove and his experience of life in these 300-odd pages.
I’m looking forward to reading a refreshing change in perspective. It’s not very often that I read fiction with a protagonist like Ove. I pride myself on reading diversely, and so I should also read more from all characters, perspectives and walks of life.
Lending to my aims of reading more diversely, this book was originally published in Swedish and translated into English a year later. It’s not often I read translated works, but I’m glad to have gotten a copy of this ready to read.
What book blogger wouldn’t proclaim themselves an avid reader?
If found without a book in hand, send for medical aid!
My name is Rebecca; welcome to my humble little blog.
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Rebecca’s ReaderRank
Rebecca has reviewed 358 books with an average rating of 4.321 out of 5.
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If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs. I should have run for it while I had the chance. Now my shot is gone. Now that the police officers are in the house and they’ve discovered what’s upstairs, there’s no turning back. 
Genre: Thriller
Genre: Science-fiction 
Genre: Thriller / Police Procedural
Top 1% in Epic